Dark of the Moon

by Karen Robards

Caitlyn was an orphaned beauty with no future -- until the rugged outlaw nobleman rescued her from the streets. And now they ride together in the shadows of the night -- on the run from corrupt minions of the law -- emboldened by the exhilarating heat of the chase...and by a love as wild and free as the wind on the moors. Caitlyn has vowed she will never forsake Connor, her brave champion, her sensuous lover. But to save Connor, she must now betray him. Yet the proud lady can never betray the passion that joins their hearts...and draws Connor into harm's way to rescue his cherished love once more.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Ireland, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adult

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Karen Robards is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than fifty books and one novella. She has won multiple awards including six Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Awards for favorite author.
Karen has been writing since she was very young, and was first published nationally in the December 1973 Reader's Digest. She sold her first romance novel, ISLAND FLAME, when she was 24. It was published by Leisure Books in 1981 and is still in print. After that, she dropped out of law school to pursue her writing career.
Karen was recently described by The Daily Mail as "one of the most reliable thriller....writers in the world."

Reviews

[Misfit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book, and it's one I should have loved a lot more since there are so many elements I usually enjoy in older HRs - hunky hero (albeit a bit hot-tempered), and a Robin Hood like hero at that. The problem is the heroine is such a brat for the first half of the book and worse yet is the kind that stomps her feet and does what she wants to her detriment and endangers others. Oh well, she got a hard lesson in life when that back-fired, but I still didn't care for her much, nor could I find any reason for the hero to be so head over heels with such a brat.

Warning, there are some old school elements in this one, and if Jamie spanking Claire in Outlander didn't work for you, I suspect this isn't the book for you either.

[Naksed · Rating 1 out of 5]

The constantly screeching heroine made me give up. I understood why she was a rebellious hellion at the beginning, since she was a street urchin living as a boy, surviving on pickpocketing, dodging the hangman's noose, her own starvation, and the claws of men and women alike, but she was removed from that environment and nurtured pretty warmly by a makeshift family of generous farmers.

I needed some evolution in her character. Not a complete turn-around and not abruptly, I get it. But there was just as much rash, stupid actions, ungratefulness, and screechy tantrums as if it was the first day. Her knack for consistently putting herself or those she loved in danger finally made me hate her, which is why this book, which had great potential (in the tradition of Robin Hood and The Scarlet Pimpernel) ended in a DNF about halfway through.

[Nσҽɱí · Rating 4 out of 5]

#retorita4 #ritakaren
Pues es lo primero que leo de Karen Robards y me ha gustado muchísimo.
Lo leído en un día, me gusta como escribe y me ha gustado mucho la historia, ha estado muy entretenida y casi al final habido un giro que te engancha aún más.
Los protagonistas tienen carácter, sobre todo ella y los protagonistas secundarios también me han gustado mucho.
Me leeré otro libro que tengo más de ella y espero que me gusta igual o más que este.

[Regan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Very Worthy Hero but a Different Irish Romance

I’m a huge fan of Karen Robards historical romances and many of them grace my best lists.

Dark of the Moon is another great romance and different because of its plot detour in the middle. It begins in Ireland in 1784 and tells of Caitlyn O’Malley who, at 15, has lived on the streets of Dublin disguised as a lad for so long, she no longer sees herself as a girl. When she tries to pick the pocket of Connor d’Arcy, Earl of Iveagh, an Irish nobleman, believing him to be English, she is caught.

Connor, having great sympathy for homeless lads, offers “the boy” a job on his farm with “three square meals a day.” Hungry, she accepts, traveling with him to Donoughmore Castle where Connor and his younger brothers farm sheep in the shadow of the burned out castle that was once their home. Caitlyn never considers her feminine gender will be discovered. She is, of course, wrong.

Connor, whose family has suffered under the dreaded Protestant Ascendency (“the colonizers of a once-free land”), takes on another persona at night—the Dark Horseman. Riding with his brothers, all dressed in black, Connor robs from the rich Ascendency to give to Ireland’s poor. He’s a very worthy hero and, of course, Caitlyn falls in love with him. But there is a local landowner, an evil man, who covets what is Connor’s.

This is very well written with great characters and had me on the edge of my seat wondering what the feisty Caitlyn would do next. But there’s a turn in the middle that takes Caitlyn to London. You’ll want to read it all.

[Myself · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5
Quizá podría darle un 3,5 pero es que tiene una parte central que se me ha hecho pesada por momentos, muchas páginas en que no avanzaba la historia. Después de un inicio muy prometedor se estanca un poco, luego en la última parte resurge y ya es un no parar.
Los protagonistas no están mal aunque Caitlyn me llega a parecer ya un poco cansina. Me gustaba más O,Malley.
De todas formas, en general se deja leer.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

My most common refrain: This could have been so much better! But it kept flopping back and forth between a good read and a huge eyeroll.

I liked the scrappy heroine at first. I liked the commanding but caring hero. But then I realized the heroine was 15, and the hero initially took on the role of father figure to her -- even as far as spanking her AND explaining menstruation to her. And then I'm expected to go for the idea of them getting it on? That took a lot to get past. And although the heroine grew up over the course of the book, she never stopped acting like a huge brat. I think she was supposed to be "spirited" but she was a pain.

There was a sidekick early on that completely disappeared by the halfway point of the book. What was that about? There was also a rousing adventure plot that was promising but that dropped off the radar for a long period of time while the protagonists seduced/fought with/resisted/had sex with each other (and none of that in a particularly thrilling way).

It would have only taken a little rewriting to make this a good romantic adventure. Get rid of the creepy age/father factor. Flesh out the Dark Horseman plot. Make Caitlyn less infernally bratty. And erase about 100 instances of mentioning Caitlyn's "kerry blue eyes". THEY'RE REALLY BLUE. WE'VE GOT IT.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disguised as a boy, Caitlyn O'Malley picks pockets on the streets of Dublin to survive. One day she is caught by Connor d'Arcy who instead of turning her in to the authorities, takes her to his home in the countryside to live with him and his brothers. As years go by Caitlyn's feelings for Connor grow, but he still thinks of her as a child under his protection. When she discovers Connor and his brothers are posing as highwaymen, robbing rich Englishmen and giving their bounty to the poor Irish, she wants to join them. But Connor has too many people counting on him to jeopardize his family or endanger Caitlyn who he has come to love.

I first read this book 20+ years ago and I found it entertaining this time around too. Caitlyn is a hothead who starts out not trusting men, but finally comes to trust Connor and his family. Connor is just a nice guy who has the responsibility of taking care of his brothers and various community members since he was orphaned at a young age. Connor and Caitlyn have an appealing relationship, but I wasn't happy with the plot twist in the middle of the book. My rating: 4 Stars.

[Suzy Vero · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful … can’t put the book down story!!

🍀 🐑 Dark of the Moon by Karen Robards (1988), is set in the late 1700s Ireland where young destitute Caitlin is rescued from the streets of Dublin… she’s caught stealing the pocket watch of Connor O’Malley. She then discovers he’s Ireland’s boldest highwayman by night.

✔️ Heroine who wears pants.

✔️ Heroine is horrifically abused by another man.

✔️ Heroine stunningly beautiful tho at the beginning no one knows it.

✔️ Ten year age difference between the MCs.

✔️ Hero was physically attracted first to the heroine, then the heroine falls in love and declares her love first. Steamy sex scenes before marriages.

✔️ Heroine constantly cusses and swears which the hero wants stopped.

Dark of the Moon shows in detail the terrible opression of the Irish by the English… and makes it come to life thru this love story. The song Grace …(Kilmainham Gaol is in the story) floated thru my mind. A gem!!

[Aletha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great "Robin Hood" type book.

[Bj · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I gave this book an A- for the story and A for the narration at AudioGals*

Dark of the Moon, released in audio format this past April, carries an original 1988 print publication date. I haven’t read a lot of romances written in that time period but this one thoroughly impressed me with its attention to detail and character development. In fact, it’s one of the first longer length audiobooks that I have listened to (about 14 hours), where I actually believed that nearly every minute was essential. Moreover, it’s a bargain. In today’s publishing world, this story would likely have been produced as a series as, in addition to its longer length, the story also logically breaks down into two parts. The first takes place when the heroine is a young teenager when she first meets the hero, and the second begins a few years later. Interestingly, the publisher’s description only describes the later, which is when the romance and critically important suspense really begins. But one big warning: this story contains extreme domestic abuse including non-consensual, non-erotic BDSM at the hands of a villain.

Dark of the Moon mostly takes place in Ireland during the Protestant Ascendancy. We first meet the Irish heroine, Caitlyn O’Malley, on the streets of Dublin where, disguised as a boy, she survives by picking pockets. That changes one day when, mistakenly believing she is stealing from a English nobleman, she meets her match – Connor d’Arcy, Earl of Iveagh.

But Connor is no Englishman. During the Protestant Ascendancy, many Catholic Irishmen lost their lands to the English Crown due to the clash between their religious beliefs. In an attempt to protect their family’s landholdings (Donoughmore Castle), Connor was sent to England to study and learn about the Church of England, but in his heart he is a Catholic and is not loyal to the English.

Orphaned at a relatively young age, Connor was but a mere child when he was forced to grow up to provide for this three younger brothers. With no available work to be found, he resorted to looting from rich Englishmen. Once he had provided enough for his family, he continued in this Robin Hood style tradition, giving the remaining spoils to the impoverished Irish people. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Caitlyn strikes a cord with Connor. Wanting to find a way to help “O’Malley” and truly believing she is a boy, Connor offers her shelter in his home and a job as a sheepherder on his farm.

Strong-willed and proud, Caitlyn doesn’t want to accept his charity but eventually capitulates although she refuses to let up her charade of being a lad, as she believes that men only want to harm females. Raised on the streets dressed as a boy, she is more comfortable in britches and doing boy’s work, and has no idea how girls are supposed to behave. Soon after Caitlyn moves to Donoughmore, however, the truth comes out. Fearing that Caitlyn would suffer a terrible fate if her secret was discovered, Connor does the honorable thing and decides to take her in and raise her alongside his brothers.

Unlike the typical bodice ripper 1980s romances, it is not Connor who pursues Caitlyn. In fact, for the first third or more of the book, there is no romance between the couple whatsoever. Connor is so accustomed to being her caretaker that after years of serving in that role, he still refuses to acknowledge that she is a woman or that he could have romantic feelings for her. When his younger brothers, however, start taking notice of Caitlyn’s now blossoming womanly charms and start fighting over her, Connor feels compelled to claim her to restrain their advances. Caitlyn, who silently admires Connor, needs no further encouragement, and aggressively pursues Connor.

The story is made even better by the fantastic narration by Elizabeth Wiley. I had recently had a so-so experience with Ms. Wiley’s work, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the breathing issues I noticed in that performance were absent here. Moreover, Ms. Wiley’s highly differentiated, character-appropriate voices for each of the many roles in this book really brought the book to life. In particular, I loved that even in the scenes where all four brothers were present and engaging in dialogue, I could easily distinguish each one.

Additionally, Ms. Wiley’s portrayal of Caitlyn was perfect, bringing out beautifully all of her distinctive traits, including her youthful innocence, extreme pride, and headstrong nature. Her depiction of Connor is equally impressive. You could just hear the anguish dripping from his voice when he was struggling to both listen to his heart and do right by Caitlyn. Perhaps her best work is a scene where Connor is clearly impaired for drinking too much. Noticing the difference in his state, Caitlyn naively worries that he might be sick and comes to his aid. Several paragraphs before the author even tells you that Connor is drunk, the listener knows what has transpired due to Ms. Wiley’s great acting which added a slightly comical element to this scene.

What a breath of fresh air. I loved the different setting and learning all about the strife between the Irish and the English and the battle between the Catholic and English Church. Moreover, the longer timeline allowed me to believe in, and even root for, the romance when it finally occurred. Add in the talented narration by Ms. Wiley, and you have one of the best historical romances that I have listened to in recent times. I so thoroughly enjoyed Karen Robard’s writing, that now I am compelled to go and read or listen to more of her huge list of works.

BJ

Narration: A

Book Content: A-

Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in

Violence: Escalated Fighting (including a rather detailed description of practices employed during hangings) and Domestic Violence

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Tantor Audio



Dark of the Moon was provided to AudioGals for review by Tantor Audio.

[Bona Caballero]

Lo dejo al llegar al 17 %. Hay una chica, Caitlyn, que se hace pasar por chico y un noble irlandés, Connor, que la saca de la calle donde es una ladrona, la acoge y debe ser un misterioso bandolero por las noches...
Cuando él descubre que es una chica, ella huye, temiendo lo que le pueda hacer. Él la coge y acaba dándole unos cuantos azotes. Y ahí lo dejo.
Cuando el héroe agrede así a la heroína, nada puede redimirlo. Sorry. Puedo pasar por alto estas cosas old skool si hay algo más que me entretenga. Pero aquí... no lo veo.
Compré la novela porque la vi baratita y he llegado a tenerla entre las mil mejores, gracias a que la traducción española, Sombras en la noche, está bien considerada en El rincón de la novela romántica, ¡hasta la incluyeron en su ajuar de la lectora romántica...!

[Jacqueline J]

I think I’m going to dnf this one. I was really liking this then I got to the point where he was going to send her away and I felt like that was a good tack for the book to take and then when she finagles out of that I thought oh no and skipped ahead a bit. It looks like they get separated for a year with betrayal and her nobly sacrificing for for him without telling him why and working together and I just don’t want to. Skimmed.
Not really fond of the highwayman trope and headstrong girls who just cause trouble.

[Heart DeCoupeville · Rating 1 out of 5]

Problematic even for 1988. 1.5 stars, rounded down.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark of the Moon is brilliantly written. The plot is clever and unpredictable. The twists are like TV show's season finale cliff hangers. This is a book I would forgo sleep to finish.

After the death of her mother, Caitlyn takes to the streets to thieve in order to survive. With a fervent distrust of men, she hides her identity as to not be taken advantage of. With a fiery temper and a steel will she will do whatever it takes to survive. Although the heroine starts out dressing as a boy, this is one of the rare books where this actually is done well and works for the story. When she encounters a wealthy looking gent on the streets she decides to pick his pockets to afford a bite to eat. What her attempt gets her is much more than she could have ever imagined.

Connor is an impoverished Irish earl charged with caring for his young brothers and the people who live on his lands. With the dislike of the Irish strong, his people are struggling and he'll have to put his life on the line to help them survive. With a great responsibility on his shoulders, he mastered self control and discipline at an early age. He has always had a cool head and a clear mind until a troublesome brash and beautiful little lass crosses his path and threaten his sanity. With his brothers also vying for her attention, Conner knows he must remove her from under his roof before she becomes a wedge in his family's unbreakable bond. What follows is a love story so amazing it will capture you long past the last words spoken.

This book is brilliant in the multiple plots and story lines that interweavel. There's the mysterious murder of Connor's father, the overlying tension between the Irish and English, the many members of the small town that have an eye for winning Caitlyn's favor and possibly doing her harm, and there is a clan of horsemen that attack coaches in the middle of the night to take from the rich and give to the poor.

While the plot is intricate and engaging, the book shines most for the characters. The characters have a depth of emotion that makes them unforgettable. Their struggles, their devotion, their foolhardiness, and most importantly their love.

Caitlyn is brash and shocking at times. She is strong willed, tempered, and fierce, but she is also compassionate and loyal and strong. She is no wilting wall flower and she is certainly no typical heroine.

Connor is just as distinctive. He is handsome, strong, brave and masterful, but he has such real weaknesses that the reader feels emotionally gripped by his struggles.

The characters grow as the story progresses. Even the side characters are intricate and well developed.

Dark of the Moon is at times heart wrenching and violent and at others so beautiful it could bring one to tears. After reading romance novels for so long, many blend together, but this one stands out among the crowd.

Elizabeth Wiley does an outstanding job with the narration. She captures just enough of an Irish brogue to reflect the dialogue, but not so much as to make listening difficult. The emotion, urgency, desire, pain, and longing are all clearly portrayed as she reads this novel. This is a book that comes to life in the audio version. Be prepared to go on an unforgettable adventure.

[Red · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended heavily in a thread that had books that had an abuse theme. This is my first Karen Robarbs books.

First I would like to say that the writing style was good. Grammar and spelling was good. I do find it humorous that the older books have better grammar than newer ones.

I truly LOVED Connor as a hero. I think this has been the best hero in any book I have read to date. Strong alpha male but not obnoxious. I could not state one thing about his character that bothered me.

All of the brothers were solid. I didn't care for the caretaker and whatever ailed her but I could see the need for her to be there.

Caitlyn...she was ok. She didn't blow me away. The typical female that doesn't listen or follow direction. Has a temper and sometimes even at inappropriate times. She acted very childish. But that could be because she was in my opinion. I don't think it was out of place for the book or time period but I have to say this is the first book I have read that had a leading lady start off at such a young age. I mean the Hero had to tell her what her Menstral Cycle was because she didn't know.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Тъмна луна" е роман, в който основната тема е любовта. Вечната, силната, изгарящата, влудяващата, това е тя - любовта.
Никой не знае какво му е приготвила съдбата, докато не се срещне с нея. Главната героиня не мечтае за любов, а само за храна и подслон. Но в живота нищо не се дава даром!
На книгата попаднах случайно. Купих си я заедно с едно списание и не съжалявам. Романът е много увлекателен. Не можех да спра да чета. Действието се развива през целия сюжет и няма скучни страници, от които да ти стане безинтересно.
Героинята е нахална ( на моменти, чак и се ядосвах ), устатна и твърдоглава, а главният герой е спокоен, уравновесен и здравомислещ. Два напълно противоположни характера. Може би това ги привлича един в друг толкова силно ( аз винаги съм мислила, че истинска любов има там, където хората се разбират, имат еднакви интереси, т.е. си приличат ). Но нали противоположностите се привличали - може и така да е! Със сигурност тръпката ще е по -силна!
Книгата я слагам в "Любими", защото ме развълнува. Предизвика в мен серия от емоции, като яд, напрежение, желание, чрез които изживях случките на героите в романа, заедно с тях.

[Rondra Tamplin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book and added a star for the dreaminess of the hero. I can only imagine those eyes! Now. The heroine drove me nuts. It's one thing to be stubborn and set the standard of the way you want to be treated. It is quite another to have the impression of being a brat never growing with the book. EVERYTHING was "I'm not doing it and you can't make me!" I really liked the fact that she was in a bad spot in the beginning as a young girl BUT as her circumstances changed ... she .. er... didn't. She still seemed like that little girl throughout the book. Once More Miranda has set the bar for me in the scenario of the street urchin blossoming into that mature, strong, and likable woman. I just pictured this heroine on the ground kicking her feet and banging her fist all the time when she doesn't get her way.

[Cindy Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definite five-star book

This is a really good book despite typos and grammatical errors. The writing and plot make up for those errors. It is romantic, interesting, exciting, political, sensuality, sad, funny, sweet.....just a really good book which I HIGHLY recommend. I found it so good I had a hard time putting it down. Loved this story and the characters, including secondary characters, were done very well.

[Liezl Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I am a suckah for historical romance and this story just blew my mind. I sort of teared at one point and I don't usually do that! Robards characters are unforgettable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who have interests in theives, action, and most importantly a developing love story!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caitlyn has disguised herself as a boy and roams the streets of Ireland as a thief and pickpocket. when she picks the pocked to Connor, he catcher her, but instead of turning her in, he takes her and her friend to his estate to work honorably. Connor has a secret, at night he rides the highways robbing from the ric to help the poor Irish. when he discovers Caitlyn's secret, sparks begin to fly.

[Cem73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

L'héroïne est une véritable tête à claques au départ à n'en faire qu'à sa tête, mettant ainsi en danger tous ceux qui l'ont sauvé. Heureusement elle se rattrape par la suite.
Quant à Connor (j'adooore les prénoms irlandais!!) , un pure mâle alpha!! Il est juste à tomber raide ... YUMMY :D

[Trinidad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Author lost Willie! He was one of the main characters in the first six chapters then he disappeared. I think the author forgor about him and that cost this book one star. If you will forget about his character, why didn't you just leave him in Dublin?

[Anna McFadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catlin is a orphaned beauty, Conner is an rugged outlaw nobleman who took her in off the streets of Dublin gave her a home but in order to keep him safe she will do anything she can even if it means lying bout loving someone else and being their mistress.

[Shelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. This book was just okay. The beginning started very slow for me. It got better as the book went on, but I found both main characters annoying, especially Caitlyn. I did enjoy Connor's brothers and his relationship with them.

[Desi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book started off great. Then I went through a part which wasn't much to my taste. It was too vulgar and annoying. But I'm glad I kept reading, because I loved the rest of the book, and even if I saw through most of the plot (I've read way too many books not to), I enjoyed every second of it.

[tiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of all karens books. Just the start of this book made me love it. How they came to realize she was a girl had me smiling. I just couldn't get enough of the BROTHERS.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An oldie but a goodie.

Re-read this one after many years and it is still a terrific read. This was one of my first romance books and I love Karen Robards to this day

[Isabel Luna · Rating 2 out of 5]

La novela está ambientada en la época en que los ingleses tenían conquistada Irlanda, y al parecer los irlandeses se caracterizan por su mal humor y su ferocidad. Caitlyn O'Malley, una jovencita huérfana que finge ser un niño para salvarse de ser violada en las calles, es parte de una banda de niños y se gana el sustento robando a los desprevenidos. Todo igual hasta que un día llega al mercado un noble inglés. Caitlyn intenta robarle, pero el noble la atrapa y amenaza con entregarla a los guardias, que la colgarían por su crimen. Lo que no sabían es que ese hombre no era inglés si no Connor d'Arcy, el conde de Aveagh, irlandés hasta las pulgas.
Connor es un hombre rudo, agriado por un pasado difícil y doloroso, pero que también es compasivo y dedicado. Luego de atrapar a Caitlyn - que confunde con un niño - le ofrece ir a trabajar a su granja de ovejas, a cambio de un techo y comida y Caitlyn acepta.
Respecto a la trama. Realmente disfruté leyendo la primera parte, no es que sea el colmo de las emociones, pero me gustó mucho la forma en que la autora describe su vida en la granja de los d'Arcy. Que de ricos sólo tienen el nombre, ya que perdieron su fortuna en un accidente. En toda esta parte Caitlyn aprende lo que es ser parte de una familia, además de aceptar su femineidad y descubre sus sentimientos.
Hasta que Caitlyn descubre que siente cosas por Connor. Y que los hermanitos sienten cosas por ella. Es más, es tan bella que todo un desfile de hombres se pasa por la granja - Donnoughmore o algo así - con tal de poder verla. No me quejaré de que la protagonista sea bella, pero lo menciona mucho más de lo que era necesario, ya que esa cualidad suya no es un pilar de la personalidad de Caitlyn. Aunque entiendo que era importante para justificar algunas de las cosas que pasaron.
En fin, que llegó un momento en el que toda esa bonita vida de granjeros por el día y bandoleros por la noche se va al traste. A cambio, tenemos un evento que gira la vida de todos, en el que el villano supremo hace acto de presencia. Para no arruinarle la vida a nadie será todo lo que diga, excepto que los sentimientos de los protagonistas no me gustaron.
Ya el amor entre Connor y Caitlyn me parece poco creíble, pero lo que pasó después no tenía mucho sentido. De hecho es uno de esos giros de la trama típicos, tan TÍPICO que no sé si reírme porque haya pasado.
El principal problema es que se supone que es una novela romántica, ¿no? Y de hecho la autora se concentra mucho en los enamorados, sólo que salió de una manera muy extraña. Connor comienza su relación con Caitlyn en plan de tutor, ya que ella era muy joven cuando llegó a sus vidas. Pero en algún momento le salen pechos y ¡pum! atracción total en un radio de 100 km a la redonda. No sé cómo más decirlo, fue bueno que los personajes no cambiaran de una manera muy drástica su forma de llevarse, porque no hay un crimen más grave que arruinar a un personaje para justificar un lío amoroso, pero es que tampoco me pareció que fueran unos tortolitos sin remedio, como la autora se empeña en decir.
Y mi última queja está relacionada con eso: sólo importan ellos. Durante el libro pasan cosas muy serias, cosas que necesitaban atención. Pero como a los protagonistas no podría importarles menos, pues a la autora todavía menos. Y yo me quedé esperando. El final es repentino y deja la historia en un punto muy "movido". Me cortaron totalmente. Por lo menos ese es un problema hacia el final de libro y no durante todas las páginas.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 for the overall romance/love story. 4 for the unique story/details. I found this while perusing lists of Irish heroes here on Goodreads (as you do). I'm sure many readers took issue with Caitlyn and her constant tantrums, as well as she and Connor egging each other on. But for Caitlyn, she was left to her own emotional/financial devices (save for the other pick pockets), having lost her mother to an undisclosed illness. In fact, she and Connor only met because she initially thought he was a rich Englishman waltzing along what she deemed her streets, and failed at picking his pockets. Connor, thinking she's a lad, offers her employment/lodgings at his sheep farm.
Connor himself is another complex hero: caught between this "Irish" (he was born to Irish parents, raised Irish Catholic, but then his father was told of a penal code that refused land ownership to men not of the True Church, Conner's father decided only Connor would become Protestant to maintain the castle in name) Robin Hood gig he does (he's the masked Dark Horseman, who steals from the rich English and gives to poor Irish), while having to come to terms with growing up too quickly (he assumed responsibility not only for the estate, but his brothers as well). Both characters are hot-headed and quick tempered, full of passion, but no idea what to do with it. They don't trust easily, and it's weirdly fitting that their relationship would be so push-pull/secretive even to themselves.

T.W. for physical abuse: in one of their midnight rides, Caitlyn is shot/presumed dead. But turns out, evil Edward found her/kept her captive/forced her to endure nightly whippings across her back/body covered by clothes (Jesus, I'm using "/" as to not have to delve into the detailed writing of her pain/bloody wounds/deteriorating mental state). She endures this to protect Connor's I.D. being exposed (there's a bounty on him).

Of course, it's a smutty delight, but beyond that, there's found family dynamics (not all of which are cozy, given the aforementioned distrust), political unrest (I had to brush up on my Irish history, but I knew a few places/terms, thank you Derry Girls). And the settings/midnight rides made me feel like I was caught in an Irish fog in the best way.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! What a read. I really didn't like the brat. I imagined what's its like to be in her shoes. I would act what she went through. After what her mother told her to act as a lad. Men do abuse women. She's been drilled by her mother. She had a right to defend herself. She had witness countless time by the abuse men had thrown at women. Women turned into whore to save their lives. And so when a Man, Conner grab her thinking she's a lad.

Remember He doesn't know him (her) and her histories. So, of course shell be brat. Shes trying to survive the street. He too, had a right to save his own person.

He knew the way the beggars were because he was one himself. He took her on and give her food then gave proposal.
Cat can always denied him but she took a risk. She's tired of thiefing ways and of it's hungers.

She is wary of men. So I will believe her to true in her hellion way when the men found out she was a girl. She's thinking what men do...He's thinking to help her. So she's not a brat, not at the beinging. She's late bloomer at catching up that the men aren't trying to hurt her.

It's a whole new world for her....

Thought I didn't like it when she throw herself at him and trying to get at him when he said no. I hated it.

The end!!!! What happened??? No epilogue??? I'd like a sneek peak on their lives. The whole thing starts because of her.

The end 😭 I'm glad they got out safe and have their own new lives. I keep telling myself she's a kid. Shell grow up wise...years later and realized her idioticy behaviors in the past and be a better woman. Hopefully.

(Because of bitches like her, husbands cheated on their wives. No balls, those men.-TMO)